US Cuts Independent Funding for American University of Afghanistan

State Department Rejects $25 Million Request, Plans to End All Support by 2026

The U.S. State Department has rejected a $25 million funding request from the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) to sustain operations over the next two years and has announced plans to end all remaining financial support for the institution by the end of 2026, according to reporting by The New York Times. The decision, which represents a significant shift in U.S. policy toward the university, could place the future of Afghanistan’s only American-style university at serious risk and further diminish already limited higher-education opportunities for Afghan women, many of whom can currently pursue university studies inside Afghanistan only through online programs.

A University Under Pressure

The American University of Afghanistan, founded in Kabul in 2006 with the goal of cultivating a new generation of Afghan leaders, has approximately 980 enrolled students, according to figures cited in the report. Roughly three-quarters of the student body are women, and nearly 90 percent of all students currently live inside Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the university has shifted entirely away from in-person instruction, and all current students now study online. The university’s Kabul campus was subsequently taken over by the Taliban and renamed the Afghanistan International Islamic University, leaving AUAF to operate as a virtual institution serving students scattered across the country.

David Edwards, the university’s acting president, said continued operations were now closely tied to securing alternative funding and maintaining a partnership with the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Kyrgyzstan. He noted, however, that the Kyrgyz university does not currently offer a comparable distance-learning program for students inside Afghanistan, limiting its potential as a substitute pathway. Edwards, who assumed the role of acting president in March, has traveled to universities in Britain and Germany in recent months in an effort to secure alternative funding sources, underscoring the urgency of the university’s financial situation.

The Case for AUAF

Edwards described the university as a critical educational option for an entire generation of Afghans and warned that the loss of U.S. support could leave students particularly women with few viable alternatives. Students interviewed by The New York Times echoed that assessment, describing the institution as essential to their education and future employment prospects. Many noted that other online programs are financially out of reach, making AUAF one of the few accessible avenues for higher education available to Afghan women under the current restrictions imposed by the Taliban, which have effectively barred women from most forms of in-person education beyond the primary level.

The State Department’s Position

The State Department said it would stop funding the university by the end of the year, citing what it described as a repeated lack of accountability over millions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer funds. The department characterized AUAF as a private institution and stated that the United States remains committed to supporting education for Afghan girls and women through distance-learning programs, while seeking organizations capable of administering such programs effectively and transparently.

A History of Oversight Concerns

The funding dispute revives longstanding concerns over financial oversight at the university. U.S. oversight authorities have previously identified management and accountability problems involving the heavily U.S.-funded institution. A 2019 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted that the university had entered into an agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to address longstanding management and accountability issues identified by oversight agencies. Those issues have periodically resurfaced in subsequent reviews, contributing to the current impasse.

Edwards, however, said the university had addressed its earlier problems and that its audits since 2021 had been completed without major issues. He pointed to operational reforms and increased financial transparency as evidence of the institution’s improved governance. The university has also reduced its operations amid mounting financial pressure, including staff cuts and a reduction in new student admissions, as it attempts to stretch available resources while searching for new donors.

Implications for Afghan Women

The potential closure has caused widespread concern among students, who say the university remains one of the few viable avenues for higher education available to Afghan women. Since the Taliban’s return to power, women in Afghanistan have faced escalating restrictions on their education and employment, with universities closed to female students and many professional pathways effectively blocked. For those who remain in the country, online education has become one of the only remaining means of pursuing academic goals and improving future employment prospects.

The loss of AUAF’s online programs would eliminate a crucial option for these students, many of whom cannot afford alternative online offerings from foreign institutions. Students cited by The New York Times described the university as a lifeline, emphasizing that it provides not only academic instruction but also a sense of connection to the broader world and a pathway toward professional opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.

An Uncertain Future

The American University of Afghanistan was established with substantial U.S. investment and international support, reflecting a broader commitment to building educational capacity in Afghanistan. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, foreign staff left the country and some students were relocated abroad, while others remained in Afghanistan and continued their studies remotely. The university’s ability to continue operating now hinges on whether it can secure alternative financial support before its current funding arrangements end.

With the State Department’s decision to reject the $25 million request and wind down remaining funding by the end of 2026, AUAF faces a critical juncture. The university’s leadership is actively pursuing partnerships and donations from European institutions and other potential benefactors, but the outcome remains uncertain. If alternative funding cannot be secured, the institution that once symbolized hope for a new generation of Afghan leaders may be forced to close its virtual doors leaving hundreds of students, the majority of them women, with few if any options for continuing their education.